ARMSKOTE? TELT? TALC? TELD? TELC?

specfore SG

Hey, I did my reservist in the air-con rooms in Dieppe barracks. Not that we stayed in a lot. Mostly booked / stayed out, CO was flexible, as long as you were not late for training. I was there between 1991 and 1995 , then I disrupted.

Ponders SG

I am still not convinced about the armskote. how does it even sound close to Armanents Store. Anyway, i have this impression that SAF will use British Army lingo for such things. But i do not hear Armskote in the brit lingo.

Why i think saf uses brit lingo because of certain words.... eg, LEFT-ten-nant as opposed to LIEU-TAN-NENT. Then "indenting" stores compared to "procuring"... "section" to "squad". etc etc.

As for talc.... hmm it's really a mystery... maybe we should find out from other army's how they would plan their overlays... because i doubt they would use plastic overlays for planning.

moreever.... the "correct" spelling for talc is telt.

Moxie SG

~Shrugs~ Just the messanger here.

I think it sounds close enough if you ask me, taking into context how the inerudite peng (Chinese helicopter or orang Melayu) could probably slang anything back in the '60s or earlier. What I can verify is that the "armskote" word has been around since '68. It was part of an army song from that time, mentioned in the "Shoulder to Shoulder" commemorate book.

http://www.google.com.sg/search?q=cache:FluayfxjlpMJ:www.mindef.gov.sg/ns35/pdf/life/CampLife.pdf+armskote+1968&hl=en

My guess is it was - perhaps - passed down from the local armanent or ordnance servicemen, rather than outright via the British. BTW Singapore had the SVC & SMF prior to the SAF's formation; both left legitimate legacies & traditions, rather than us always taking the cue from the colonials.

Armourers do their repair work in the armskote too, don't they? I also vaguely recall someone stating here that he was posted as an armskote man (rather than appointed as i/c). Does the SAF have such a vocation - or that for "armament storeman"? Any armanent spec care to comment ...

As for talc/telt, sorry, I'm more familiar with the former. Haven't really seen the latter spelling until you brought it up.

Ponders SG

yah, but the same book you mentioned... spelt "talc" as telt. haah.

anyway... i think many words in SAF has transmute due to the generation of personnel that is what we call the pioneers not understanding english as we do now.

Not only english words are victims... but malay ones too. haha.

e.g. the command "KALEI SENJATA" is wrong... but most drill manuals spell it this way. its supposed to be "alei senjata".

LazerLordz SG

The term "Armskote" is a Afrikaan term if I'm not mistaken.It was adopted by the British after they colonised S.Africa. A "kote" refers to a storage place.Yes, there are people who are trained as armskotemen and there are others who are Supply Asst but are appointed as armskotemen.Armament Specs are in charge of these armskotemen, sort of like their sect. comd.

Moxie SG

Thanks, LazerLordz. Saw your listing along with kindachai83's in the "What's Yr NS vocation" thread; I was hoping either of you could help clarify from the armament people's viewpoint.

South African, eh? I found out "kote" vaguely shared a similar meaning in some other languages too, though the pronunciation may be different.

Well, you learn something new every day.

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